Royal Pains to Feature Transgender Actress and Story Line

Next Tuesday, June 23, USA Network’s Royal Pains, will feature Nicole Maines, a 17-year-old transgender, playing Anna, a teenage choreographer who is transgender that discovers some of the hormones she is taking for her transition may be endangering her health.

In conjunction with PFLAG – the original family and ally organization uniting people who are LGBTQ with families, friends and allies – to raise awareness of people who are transgender and or provide support and resources to viewers, a special PSA featuring Mark Feuerstein will run during the episode and on social media.

Maines made history in January 2014 by winning a landmark transgender rights case in the state of Maine. This was the first time that a state court has ruled that transgender students be allowed to use the bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

“Playing Anna on Royal Pains was an incredible experience and the amount of warmth and encouragement that I received from the cast and crew was so unexpected, but welcome.” said Maines. “Everyone’s words were so supportive and kind and they really made me feel part of the cast immediately, and made my very first television acting experience a pleasure – one that I will remember forever.”